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> "the editorial board directs the reporters" ... and both the editorial board and reporters select how to cover the news. Some of my relatives were active on
by lotharbot 12y ago
> "the editorial board directs the reporters"
... and both the editorial board and reporters select how to cover the news.
Some of my relatives were active on a significant political issue in the 80s and 90s, holding state-level positions in a well-known organization. As a teen, I would occasionally attend rallies, protests, etc. (sometimes with counter-rallies/protests across the street) and watch from a distance, and then I'd watch the news coverage that evening. The camera always seemed to fall on awkwardly dressed senior citizens from our side, ignoring our speakers who were often young professional women who were excellent public speakers, and ignoring the large and diverse crowd. And the camera never showed the guys on the other side making threatening remarks (though I know they got those remarks on film); they'd instead seek comment from a lawyer in their office to give a calm presentation of that side. So even though they covered the event, the coverage gave the impression that one side was professional and well-spoken while the other was out of touch and weird, which was exactly the opposite of the impression I got from being there.
- foobarqux 12y agoRight, it's not that the reporters lie, it's what they choose to report and how it is reported. That is what shapes opinion.
- jiggy2011 12y agoNow I'm curious what the significant political issue was.
- lotharbot 12y agoI intentionally left it out because the important point is that the coverage was completely non-representative. I have other friends who have told me similar stories about other issues, sometimes even on opposite sides (in different cities or with different channels.) I don't want that point to get lost based on what any given HN'er thinks about the specific issue in question. For the curious, the issue was nobegvba (rot13).
- zby 12y agoI was once filmed for a documentary (on migrant workers) made for BBC and I was quoted saying something like "This newspaper used to be full of job ads" - they cut off the ending of my sentence: "now it is all in the internet". Plus starting the interview with my daughter crying - while in fact she was mostly quiet during the 3 hours filming - they cut the moment that she did cry and put it at the start of the interview to set up the emotional tone. I understand that they did this to make a 'story' out of it, it was not really malicious - but I was surprised to see such a blatant manipulation done in a BBC documentary.
- touristtam 12y agoafter the BBC coverage of the Scottish Independence referendum, I am not surprised anymore. Sad to say from a public service...